NEW YORK: US Open organisers said they are planning for the Grand Slam event to go ahead as scheduled and that an event without spectators is “highly unlikely”.
United States Tennis Association chief executive Mike Dowse said nothing “is off the table” and a final decision on the fate of the event would come in June but having fans attend the event is still their goal.
“Playing without spectators, we are not taking anything off the table. But right now that’s a highly unlikely scenario,” said Dowse. “That’s not in the spirit of celebration of tennis.”
Dowse’s comments come as the National Tennis center’s indoor courts in New York were being used as a makeshift hospital facility to treat those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
While the indoor tennis courts have been turned into a hospital zone, the Louis Armstrong Stadium has been transformed into a meal assembly area for patients, volunteers and area school kids.
New York remains the hardest-hit area in America with over 31,000 dead, including 10,800 in New York City. More than 640,000 Americans have been infected with COVID-19. (AFP)
